Starting internal-combustion engines.



P. R. SIMMS.

STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 10, 1910. 1,Q4 8,362 Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Witnesses.- O Inventm- Witnesses.-

F. R. SIMMS.

STARTING INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINES. APPLICATION IILED DBO.10, 1910.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

P. R. SIMMS.

STARTING INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.10, 1910.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

3 SHEETS-BHBBT 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK RICHARD SIMMS, OF WILLESDEN LANE, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOB-TO GIMME MAGNETO 00., INCL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

STARTING INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1912.

Application iiled Deoember 10, 1910. Serial No. 596,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK RICHARD S1MMs,.a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Welbeck Works, Kimberley Road, Willesden Lane, Middlesex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Starting Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the starting of internal combustion engines by sparking efi'ected by current from an accumulator, which current passes through the primary coil of a magneto machine, so as to induce a high tension current in the secondary coil thereof suitable for ignition purposes.

The object of my present invention is to provide an effective form of switch and trembler device, and to so arrange the parts and the connections thereof, that the accumulator current can be used for starting purposes or can be used as an alternative to the magneto during normal running.

In the embodiment of the invention herein shown and described I provide a switch comprising a base block having five terminals or connections, two of which namely, numbers 1 and 2, are connected respectively to the positive and negative poles of the bats tery, while number 3 is connected to the contacts of theauxiliary circuit breaker in connection with the magneto machine, and number 4 to the magneto coil. Furthermore, number l-terminal, in addition to being connected to the positive pole of the battery, is also connected to the electric trembler. In conjunction with the switch block there is provided a cover which carries on the inside a pair of forked contacts insulated from one another and a screw for pressing upon the electric trembler and making contact between the said trembler and one of the forked contacts. The switch cover is arranged to move through a predetermined stood I will describe it by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a switch constructed according to the invention, and Fig. 2 is a plan thereof. Fig. 3 is an underside view of the cover of the switch. Fig. 4 is a plan of the switch with the cover removed. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the electrical connections between the switch the accumulator and the magneto, and Figs. 6 and 7 are similar views to Fig. 5 showing difi'erent posi-' tions of the switch.

a is the base block of the switch of insulating material carried by the casing b and c is the switch cover screwed within the casing b.

1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 are the terminals or connect-ions carried by the base block a, 1 and 2 being connected respectively to the positive.

and negative poles of the accumulator (1, Figs. 5 to 7, while 3 is connected to the cont acts e, e of an auxiliary circuit breaker in circuit through the brush f with one end of the primary coil 9 on the armature h of a magneto of the Simms type, the said auxiliary circuit breaker having an arm rotating with the said armature which carries the brush f. In this instance the arm which carries the brush f is the rotating arm of the usual contact breaker of the magneto, and also carries a brush f for engagement with the cont-acts w, m, the same being connected in the magneto circuit in the usual manner. The terminal 4: is in connection with the other end of the primary coil 9.

2' is the electric trembler mounted on a plate j on the block a and designed to be attracted by the electro-magnet 7a through the medium of the spring armature Z, the latter being provided with a bent or rightangled projection m which embraces the free end of the trembler z' and draws it down with it when the armature is attracted by the said magnet.

0, p are the forked contacts carried by a bar g on the cover a but insulated therefrom, the fork'o being in electrical contact with the said bar 9 and the fork p insulated from the said bar. The said forks are designed to make contact with the terminals or contact pieces 2, 3, 4, 5 in the manner hereinafter described;

r is the. screw for making contact with the trembler i, the said screw being carried bythe bar q and being adjustable therein relatively with the trembler in the usual manner, a cap or plug. a being arranged in the cover c by removing which the screw 1' is accessible for adjustment.

s is a condenser contamed within a casing t which surrounds the magnet and is supported in the block a, the. said condenser being arranged in connection with the coil of the magnet 7t through the spring k, Fig. 1, and with the terminal 4 as shown in Figs. 5 to 7, the casing t and a ring .9 having a lug 8 Figs. 1 and 4, forming the connection of the said condenser to the said terminal 4. The magnet is is also connected to the terminal 1 and the trembler z.

u, u, u, u are the sparking plugs, one element of each of which is in connection with a brush u bearing on the usual high tension distributer o in connection with one end of the secondary coil w around the armature h, and the other element in connect-ion with the other end of the said coil as indicated by the dotted line or earth connection.

w, w are the contact pieces on .the magneto with which the brush f makes and breaks contact when the magneto is operating and 6 w is the'condenser in connection therewith the said cont-acts'and brush constituting the main or low tension contact breaker of the magneto. It will be noted that therelation of the contactsa'. a of the contact marketer the magneto primary circuit, and the commutator contacts 6 e, is such that the arm f asses off of one or other of contacts :1: before it can engage a contact 6 and vice versa. This construction holds the accumulator circuit open during the time that the contacts of the cont-act breaker (f) are in contactd and prevents short circuitmg which woul otherwise occur. y Y

By turning the switch cover 0 relatively with the casing I) through an are determined by a stop-pin y in the said cover engaging a slot y in the said casing, the contact forks 0 and p can be movedto com lete circuits for sparkin at the plugs 10, u y means of the accumu ator d, or for disconnecting the accumulator and short circuiting the primary coil 9 and thus rendering themagneto inoperative, 'or for sparking by the magneto in lieu of the accumulator.

a is a thumb-piece toenable, the switch cover to be turned and Z is a spring ball on bolt in the switch *base designed to engage with either one of three holes z. in the cover a to determine and hold the cover in any one of the three positions into which it can be turned. v p --The device operates as follows, that is to say b turning the switch so as to bring the for e contacts 0, p into the position shown in Fig. 5, in which the two limbs'of the 3','- and one'limb' of the other fork o rests reset;

fork 11 rest" respectively on terminals 2 and u on contact 4, then current is supplied from t e battery d to the primary coil 9 of the magneto and thence to the sparking plug in the usual manner, the current passing from the battery d by way of the magnet tram-i bler z, screw r, fork 0, contact 4, line 6, coil 9, earth connections 7, 8 and 9, brush f elther contact e, line 10, contact 3, fork p, contact 2, back to battery. By turning the switch so as to bring one of the limbs of the I fork p on to terminal 3 and the limbs of the other fork 0 into an intermediate position,

as shown in Fig. 6, the magneto supplies the current for sparking purposes, in the usual manner.

For cutting ofi both the battery and the accumulator the switch is turned to the position indicated in Fig. 7 in which the limbs of the fork p are out of contact with the contacts 2 and 3, and the limbs of the fork 0 in. contact with the contacts 4 and 5 whereby the primary coil 9 of the magneto is short circuited.

The ignition system herein shown in connection with'my improved switch, forms the subject matter of another application filed July 22, 1912, Serial'No. 7 10,940 and is not claimed herein.

Iclaim- 1. In internal combustion engines provided with magneto sparking-devices and in which the sparking'when starting is effected by current from'an accumulator passing through the magneto primary coil, the combination therewith of a switch for controlling the sparking either from the ac-' cumulator or the magneto comprising a block having an electromagnet and trembler and two pairs of, fixed'contacts, the members of one pair being respectively connected to one terminal of the accumulator and to the contacts of an auxiliary contact .breaker on the magneto and the one member of the other pair connected to the brush of the aux iliar contact breaker, and main contact brea er toone terminal of the magneto primary and secondary coils and to one member of the sparking plugs and the other member of the said palr to one terminal of the electromagnet, to the contacts of the main contact breaker and to the other terminal of by current from an accumulator passing through the magneto primary coil, the combination therewith of a switch for controlling the sparking either from the accumulator or the magneto comprising a block carrying two pairs of fixed contacts, an electromagnet, a trembler and condenser in circuit therewith, a cover which can turn relatively to the block, a pair of forked contacts carried by the cover but insulated therefrom and from one another, and respectively operating in conjunction with the two pairs of fixed contacts,one of the forks being in circuit with the electromagnet, substantially as described.

3. In an ignition system provided with igniting devices, a magneto and an accumulator, a controlling switch comprising a main body provided with an electric trembler and a plurality of fixed contacts for connecting said magneto, or said accumulator and trembler in circuit with the igniting devices, a movable part, a pair of forked contacts connected to said movable part, insulated from each other, and cooperating with said fixed contacts.

4. In an ignition system provided with igniting devices, a magneto and an accumulator, a controlling switch comprising a main body provided with an electric trembler and a plurality of fixed contacts for connecting said magneto, or said accumulator and trembler in circuit with the igniting devices, a movable part, a pair of forked contacts connected to said movable part, insulated from each other, and cooperating with said fixed contacts and yielding means for holding said movable part in any one of the positions to which it may be moved, to disconnect both magneto and accumulator from the igniting devices, or to connect the igniting devices with the magneto, or with the accumulator and trembler.

5. In an ignition system provided with igniting devices, a magneto, an accumulator, of a switch casing having a cylindrical part, and provided with a plurality of contacts connected with the accumulator, the primary coil of the magneto, an electric trembler in said casing, a movable cover rotatably engaging the cylindrical portion of the casing, a pair of forked contacts connected to said cover and constructed to cooperate with and engage the said casing contacts, said forked contacts being insulated from each other, means for arresting the said movable cover at redetermined positions and holding it Wltll the forked contacts in one or other position into which they may be moved with respect to the casing contacts and means for limiting the rotary movement of said cover in both directions.

6. In an ignition system, provided with igniting devices, a magneto and an accumu lator, a switch comprising a casing having a cylindrical threaded portion, and provided with a plurality of fixed contacts for connecting the magneto or the accumulator with the ignition system, an electric tr'embler in said casing adapted to be connected in circuit with the accumulator, a movable cover for said casing having threaded portions to engage the threaded portions of the casing, to hold the cover in position while permltting its rotary movement with respect to the casing, contact devices carried by said cover and cooperating with the fixed casing contacts, yielding means for holding said cover in different predetermined posi tions, and a detachable device for limiting the rotary movement of said cover with respect to the casing.

7. In an ignition system, provided with igniting devices, a magneto and an accumulator, a switch comprising a casing having a cylindrical threaded portion, and provided with a plurality of fixed contacts for connecting the magneto or the accumulator with the ignition system, an electric trembler in said casing adapted to be connected in circuit with the accumulator, a movable cover for said casing having threaded portions to engage the threaded portions of the casing, to hold the cover in position while permitting its rotary movement with respect to the casing, contact devices carried by said cover and coiiperating with the fixed casing contacts, yielding means for holding said cover in different predetermined positions, a detachable device for limiting the rotary movement of said cover with respect to the casing, said cover being provided with an aperture therein to give access to the trembler without removing said cover, and a detachable closure for said a erture.

FREDERICK RICHAR SIMMS.

Witnesses:

HERBERT D. JAMESON, O. P. LIDDON. 

